I/O Module with Web Accessible Product Data
First Claim
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1. An I/O module for use with an industrial control system having a controller executing a stored control program and communicating with a plurality of I/O modules, the I/O modules receiving sensed signals from an industrial process and outputting command signals to the industrial process according the stored control program and the sensed signals;
- the I/O module comprising;
(a) a network interface providing network control communication between the I/O module and the controller to exchange sensed signals and command signals and providing network Web communication between a Web browser and the I/O module;
(b) a control signal protocol circuit communicating with the control network interface to;
(i) receive the command signals to drive output lines attached to the industrial process according to the command signals;
(ii) receive signals from the industrial process and transmit sensed signals according to the received signals;
(c) a Web page memory holding a least some static data indicating a manufactured state of the I/O module;
(d) a Web-server communicating with the Web page memory and the control network to receive browser signals and to serve the static Web data to a remote browser;
whereby browser accessible information about the I/O module can be embedded in the I/O module at a time of manufacture.
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Abstract
An industrial control system provides I/O modules with web-servers and dual protocol ports so that product information stored in the I/O modules can be served over the same network interface used by the industrial control system to any Internet ready browser.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. An I/O module for use with an industrial control system having a controller executing a stored control program and communicating with a plurality of I/O modules, the I/O modules receiving sensed signals from an industrial process and outputting command signals to the industrial process according the stored control program and the sensed signals;
- the I/O module comprising;
(a) a network interface providing network control communication between the I/O module and the controller to exchange sensed signals and command signals and providing network Web communication between a Web browser and the I/O module;
(b) a control signal protocol circuit communicating with the control network interface to;
(i) receive the command signals to drive output lines attached to the industrial process according to the command signals;
(ii) receive signals from the industrial process and transmit sensed signals according to the received signals;
(c) a Web page memory holding a least some static data indicating a manufactured state of the I/O module;
(d) a Web-server communicating with the Web page memory and the control network to receive browser signals and to serve the static Web data to a remote browser;
whereby browser accessible information about the I/O module can be embedded in the I/O module at a time of manufacture. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
- the I/O module comprising;
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10. An industrial control system comprising:
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(a) at least one control network;
(b) an industrial controller;
(c) a plurality of I/O modules communicating with the industrial controller over the control network to receive sensed signals from an industrial process and outputting command signals to the industrial process according a stored control program executed by the industrial controller;
the I/O modules including;
(i) a Web page memory holding browser accessible static data;
(ii) a Web-server communicating with the Web page memory to receive browser signals and to serve the static data to a remote browser over the control network;
(d) a search appliance communicating with the control network to accept a search query and to search through the Web page memories of the connected I/O modules to provide a response to that query. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification